And you say, "What's she got to grin?"

In the last blog entry, mention was made of port cities. This clip of Nina Simone singing "Pirate Jenny" builds on some of the ideas introduced concerning the presence of African Americans in such a space. The song originates from a German opera. Which specific lyrics in this song lend themselves to defining black life and black female life in the "New World" at a specific moment and across time? How do Simone's own beginnings in the South make this song an appropriate one for her?